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Worksheets17.4 - 17.6 Review Questions
Total questions: 66
Worksheet time: 33mins
Why did railroad companies turn to Native American and Mexican‑born workers?
Because prejudice against Chinese workers increased
Because the supply of Irish laborers declined
Because federal law mandated Native and Mexican hiring quotas
Because wages were higher for Native and Mexican workers
In the context of western rail construction, who were the Traqueros?
Mexican track workers
Chinese railroad financiers
Native American locomotive engineers
Irish foremen who supervised grading crews
Which railroads especially recruited Traqueros?
Southern Pacific and Santa Fe Railroads
Union Pacific and Northern Pacific Railroads
Baltimore & Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroads
Central Pacific and Great Northern Railroads
According to the pay scale described, what daily wage did Mexican and Spanish‑speaking American laborers earn?
$1 per day
$2 per day
$3 per day
$4 per day
According to the pay scale described, what daily wage did Irish‑born laborers earn?
$1 per day
$2 per day
$3 per day
$4 per day
“Outnumbered, outvoted and eventually outcast”—which statements describe how Mexican Americans were treated in the Southwest? Select all that apply.
Discriminated against in land disputes with mines, railroads, and ranchers
Paid less than Anglo‑Saxon cowboys
Local laws were passed to curb or end Mexican American traditions (such as “Sunday Laws”)
Granted immediate citizenship and equal protection in local courts
How was the West segregated with regard to people of Mexican ancestry and Spanish‑speaking students? Select all that apply.
People of Mexican ancestry were not welcome in restaurants, churches, and parks
Spanish‑speaking students were often sent to segregated “Mexican schools”
Public transportation was free for Mexican Americans
Mexican Americans were exempt from local curfew ordinances
What term described discriminatory laws in the Southwest analogous to Jim Crow in the South?
Juan Crow Laws
Homestead Laws
Alien Land Acts
Black Code Statutes
What was one consequence associated with the Juan Crow era in the Southwest?
It resulted in the deaths of thousands and violations of due process
It rapidly expanded voting rights for Mexican Americans
It eliminated segregation in public schools
It granted federal land claims to Mexican American communities
What happened during the Porvenir Massacre on January 28, 1918?
Fifteen unarmed American‑born men of Mexican ancestry were taken at night and killed
A militia seized weapons from a Texas town without casualties
Federal troops arrested ranchers for tax evasion
A peaceful protest ended with no injuries
Who participated in the killing of the men during the Porvenir Massacre?
Local ranchers, Texas Rangers, and US Army cavalrymen
Only federal marshals
Railroad detectives and miners
A posse composed solely of townspeople
What happened to the town of Porvenir immediately after the killings?
It was burned by the perpetrators
It was placed under federal protection
It was rebuilt with state funds
It was evacuated and later resettled
What was the outcome of the Texas legislature’s investigation into the Porvenir Massacre?
No one was charged with the crime
Several perpetrators were convicted
The case was referred to federal court and retried
The incident was officially declared an accident
What was a core purpose of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)?
To promote and protect the civil rights of Mexican Americans and combat “Juan Crow” laws
To finance western railroad expansion
To establish a new political party for the Southwest
To secure federal subsidies for ranchers
What helped spark the creation of LULAC?
The Porvenir Massacre and similar acts of violence
Disputes over federal tariffs
The successful passage of a nationwide anti‑lynching law
A Supreme Court ruling expanding voting rights
Who were the founding brothers of Las Gorras Blancas (The White Caps)?
Juan, José, Pablo, and Nicanor Herrera
Carlos, Miguel, Rafael, and Arturo Romero
Pedro, Luis, Diego, and Manuel Chávez
Antonio, Ramón, Esteban, and Julio Martínez
What was the stated purpose of Las Gorras Blancas (The White Caps)?
To evict “land grabbers” who illegally created commercial ranches on common lands in New Mexico
To organize railroad workers into national unions
To campaign for federal statehood for New Mexico
To negotiate treaties with local tribes
Which actions were used by Las Gorras Blancas against trespassers and squatters? Select all that apply.
Cutting barbed‑wire fences and destroying barns, railroad tracks, and telegraph lines
Mobilizing night riders to scatter livestock and threaten trespassers
Seeking legal eviction of wealthy squatters
Organizing nationwide strikes among textile workers
Which regions were designated as the last refuge for Native American tribes in the West? Select all that apply.
The Great Plains
The mountainous regions of the West
The Mississippi River Valley
The Pacific coastal cities
What did the Fort Laramie Treaty require and allow regarding the tribes of the Plains?
Tribes accepted US‑proposed tribal boundaries and allowed pioneers to travel across their lands
Tribes ceded all land west of the Mississippi River
Tribes were relocated east of the Missouri River
Tribes gained full US citizenship immediately
What major conflict occurred in the trans‑Mississippi West between the early 1860s and the late 1870s?
The Indian Wars
The Spanish‑American War
The Mexican‑American War
The Civil War
Which actions most directly violated treaties and helped cause the Indian Wars? Select all that apply.
Buffalo hunters, farmers, ranchers, miners, and railroad surveyors trespassed and ignored treaty provisions
US officials strictly enforced all treaty terms
Settlers consistently respected tribal boundaries
Railroad expansion pressured tribal lands
Which statement identifies General William T. Sherman during this period?
He was a hero of the US Civil War
He led the Texas Rangers
He founded the Bureau of Indian Affairs
He negotiated the Treaty of Paris
How did General William T. Sherman describe an Indian reservation?
“A parcel of land inhabited by Indians and surrounded by [American] thieves.”
“A sanctuary protected from outside influence.”
“A temporary military encampment.”
“A federal territory under exclusive tribal control.”
What was the role of the US Army before the Civil War regarding western travel?
Protecting pioneers traveling the established trails
Relocating all settlers east of the Mississippi
Enforcing mining claims for private companies
Guarding only railroad crews
What was the role of the US Army after the Civil War regarding Native Americans and settlers?
Ensuring Native Americans stayed on reservations and preventing miners and settlers from trespassing
Disbanding all forts in the West
Providing free land to homesteaders
Removing all federal officials from reservation lands
What did emigrants repeatedly do upon entering the region?
Violated treaties and agreements
Established cooperative farming with tribes
Refused to travel through tribal lands
Avoided contact with railroads
On what date did the Sand Creek Massacre occur?
November 29, 1864
July 4, 1863
December 29, 1890
June 25, 1876
Who led the Colorado militia that assaulted a Cheyenne village at Sand Creek?
Col. John C. Chivington
Gen. George A. Custer
Chief Black Kettle
Gen. Philip Sheridan
Which statement describes the nature of the Sand Creek attack?
It was ordered without provocation and killed over one hundred women and children
It was a defensive battle against a large armed force
It was a peaceful negotiation that ended hostilities
It was a raid to recover stolen livestock without casualties
What was Chief Black Kettle reportedly flying during the Sand Creek Massacre?
An American flag
A white flag of truce
A tribal banner
A state flag of Colorado
What set off tensions leading into the Little Big Horn conflict?
Prospectors trespassed into Sioux territory seeking gold, and the army failed to keep them out
A federal treaty granted the Sioux full control of the Black Hills
Railroads withdrew from the region
The Sioux invited settlers onto reservation lands
In 1875, what did Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer announce after leading 1,000 men into the Black Hills?
The discovery of gold
A cease‑fire with the Sioux
A new treaty with Red Cloud
The evacuation of all forts
How did Sitting Bull respond to President Grant’s attempt to have the land sold?
He refused to sell the land
He agreed to sell immediately
He proposed a lease to miners
He requested payment in buffalo
What was the outcome when Custer attacked an Indian village on the Little Bighorn River?
Crazy Horse’s forces attacked; Custer and his men were killed
The village surrendered without resistance
Custer captured Sitting Bull
Federal reinforcements arrived and secured victory for Custer
What broader policy did Gen. Philip Sheridan plan following Little Big Horn?
“Total war,” pursuing the Cheyenne and Sioux across Montana and forcing them back onto reservations
Limited engagement focused on diplomatic negotiations
Permanent withdrawal from the Northern Plains
Relocation of all settlers east of the Missouri
Which factors contributed to the decimation of the buffalo on the Plains? Select all that apply.
Intensive hunting for hides, tongues, and other organs; and railroad interests killing buffalo
Prolonged drought reducing grasslands and competition with horses for grazing
Federal sanctuaries effectively protecting herds
Widespread vaccination programs reducing populations
How did the disappearance of the buffalo affect Native tribes of the Plains?
It devastated their way of life and pushed them toward reservations
It increased trade opportunities with railroads
It led to immediate urbanization of tribal communities
It allowed tribes to expand into coastal regions
What course did Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce attempt for his people, and what was the final outcome?
He tried to lead them to Canada; when caught, he chose reservation life rather than risk massacre
He sought an alliance with the US Army that granted independence
He relocated them to Mexico with federal approval
He negotiated statehood for the Nez Perce
Which statements describe the Ghost Dance Movement? Select all that apply.
It spread among western tribes beginning in 1889
It was a ceremonial dance some believed would make participants impervious to bullets
It stirred Native populations so much that the Bureau of Indian Affairs banned it
It originated as a US Army training exercise
When and where did the Wounded Knee Massacre occur?
December 29, 1890, along the Wounded Knee River in South Dakota
November 29, 1864, near Sand Creek in Colorado
June 25, 1876, along the Little Bighorn River in Montana
April 12, 1861, at Fort Sumter in South Carolina
Which events immediately preceded the gunfire at Wounded Knee?
Men were ordered to surrender weapons; soldiers searched the tipis; a medicine man began the Ghost Dance and a shot rang out
A peace council concluded successfully and all weapons were returned
Federal troops withdrew and the camp dispersed
A buffalo herd stampeded through the encampment
What were the casualties at Wounded Knee when the firing stopped?
About 150 unarmed Native men, women, and children killed; 25 soldiers dead (mostly friendly fire)
No Native casualties and 10 soldiers wounded
Exactly 300 soldiers killed and no Native casualties
Five chiefs executed and zero soldiers lost
What did the court of inquiry determine regarding Col. James W. Forsyth’s actions at Wounded Knee?
It exonerated him and covered up the massacre
It convicted him of manslaughter
It removed him from command without review
It recommended a public apology and reparations
According to President Rutherford B. Hayes’s 1877 State of the Union, what was a major origin of Indian wars?
Broken promises and acts of injustice by the United States
Excessive tribal aggression toward settlers
European interference in western territories
Climate disasters in the Plains
Who authored A Century of Dishonor and what did the work emphasize?
Helen Hunt Jackson; it documented the treatment and exploitation of Native Americans by the US government
Frederick Jackson Turner; it praised the frontier’s civilizing mission
Mark Twain; it criticized railroad monopolies
Susan B. Anthony; it argued for women’s suffrage on reservations
What was the central aim of the Dawes Severalty Act regarding Native Americans?
To “Americanize” (assimilate) Native Americans
To grant immediate tribal independence
To create new western territories
To repeal all reservation boundaries
Which actions were taken under the Dawes Severalty Act? Select all that apply.
Divided ancestral lands among heads of households
Pushed Native peoples to transition to farming with 160‑acre allotments contingent on “good behavior”
Sold non‑allotted lands to railroads and white settlers
Educated Native children like white American children with English names and language, restricting Native cultural practice
What was Frederick Jackson Turner’s view of the American frontier?
It had, more than any other factor, influenced the development of our national character and identity
It was insignificant in shaping American society
It primarily benefited only coastal cities
It undermined democratic ideals
Who was primarily drawn to the People’s Party (Populist movement)?
The rural poor
Urban industrial magnates
Eastern banking elites
Western railroad executives
What was the stated purpose of the People’s Party?
To restore the Government of the Republic to the hands of the “plain people”
To expand the power of corporate trusts
To abolish the federal income tax
To privatize public lands
What political influence did the People’s Party exert regionally?
It tied the South and West together to take control from Republicans in the Northeast and Midwest
It unified the Northeast and Midwest against western farmers
It created a permanent third party majority in Congress
It shifted political power to coastal urban centers
What industries thrived in the post-war South? Select all that apply.
Textiles
Tobacco
Steelmaking
Lumber
Which areas were least present in the South in the half-century following the Civil War? Select all that apply.
Industrial development
Urbanization
Broad access to education
Prosperity compared to other U.S. regions
During the half-century after the Civil War, cotton was still king. Which statement best describes what happened to its price?
Cotton prices rose steadily as demand increased
Cotton prices fell steadily as other markets produced cotton
Cotton prices remained stable due to government supports
Cotton prices fluctuated but ended higher than before the war
Which description accurately characterizes small farm owners in the post-war South?
They operated tiny farms that generated little cash and often pledged future crops to merchants for supplies bought on credit
They mainly worked the owner’s land in exchange for shelter, fertilizer, seed, mules, supplies, food, and a share of the crop
They were mainly white farmers who rented land but typically kept a larger share of the crop than sharecroppers
They ran large cash-producing farms using hired labor and avoided credit
Which description accurately characterizes sharecroppers in the post-war South?
Mainly formerly enslaved families who had only their labor to offer and who worked the owner’s land in exchange for shelter, fertilizer, seed, mules, supplies, food, and a share of the crop
Tiny independent farm owners who pledged a portion of future crops to merchants for supplies on credit
White farmers who rented land and usually kept a larger share of the crop than sharecroppers
Landlords who leased tools and animals to tenants but did not provide housing
Which description accurately characterizes tenant farmers in the post-war South?
Mainly white farmers, barely better off than the formerly enslaved, who might have a horse or mule, a plow, tools, and a line of credit but still needed to rent land to farm and could usually keep a larger share of the crop than sharecroppers
Mainly formerly enslaved families working for housing and a share of the crop
Independent small farm owners who avoided renting land and relied on cash crops
Planters who owned land but contracted laborers seasonally without providing supplies
What happened to cotton prices during this period, and what were the effects? Select all that apply.
Cotton prices fell steadily
The income of Southerners remained low, and the South stayed behind the North
Farmers planted more cotton to make up for price drops, increasing supply and pushing prices down further
Cotton prices rose, leading to rapid Southern prosperity
What spurred the new racism in the South during the 1890s? Select all that apply.
Revival of the claim that the Anglo-Saxon “race” was intellectually and genetically superior to Blacks
Resentment among many whites toward signs of African American financial success and political influence
Federal enforcement of civil rights laws that angered Southern Democrats
Declining lynching rates and widespread due process protections
What was the primary purpose of the Mississippi Plan and Grandfather Clauses?
To severely disenfranchise Black voters through measures such as literacy tests and poll taxes and to allow illiterate whites to vote if their fathers or grandfathers had been eligible before Reconstruction
To expand voting rights to all citizens regardless of race or prior eligibility
To promote public education and civic participation among newly enfranchised voters
To standardize election procedures across all states without affecting eligibility
What policy did the Supreme Court’s decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) legitimize?
Racially based “separate but equal” segregation across public facilities
Complete racial integration of public schools
Federal prohibition of all state segregation laws
Temporary segregation only in transportation, not in schools or restaurants
What were Jim Crow laws?
State and local laws that legalized racial segregation as a result of the “separate but equal” doctrine
Federal laws guaranteeing equal access to public accommodations
Local ordinances promoting interracial commerce and education
Temporary emergency measures designed to stabilize post-war economies
Which statement best characterizes Ida B. Wells?
An African American activist who launched a crusade against lynchings and helped found the NAACP
A Southern governor who drafted the Mississippi Plan
A Black college president who advocated accommodation to segregation
A civil rights leader who opposed education for Black Americans
Which statement best characterizes Booker T. Washington?
President of Tuskegee Institute who emphasized work, self-improvement, and becoming economically self-sufficient, with civil rights to wait
Co-founder of the NAACP who urged immediate civil rights and higher education to develop leaders to challenge Jim Crow
A Reconstruction-era legislator who wrote the Civil Rights Act of 1875
A prominent opponent of any vocational training for Black Americans
Which statement best characterizes W. E. B. DuBois?
A rival of Booker T. Washington who promoted civil rights, helped found the NAACP, and advocated Black education to develop leaders to challenge Jim Crow
An advocate of economic self-sufficiency first, with civil rights to wait
A state official who enforced literacy tests under the Mississippi Plan
A Reconstruction governor who opposed higher education for Black Americans
